Empire-line wedding dresses

by HelenJune 2, 2009 0

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Josephine, wife of Emperor Napoleon

There are lots of different wedding dress styles, for all shapes, tastes and forms.Not all styles suit all women, so it’s worth taking a look at different styles and trying a range on to see which ones suit you best.

The Empire-line cut is without a doubt a leading wedding dress trend this year and recent catwalk shows have shown off many a Pride & Prejudice-inspired bridal gown.

BBC's Pride and Prejudice

So here’s some history…

Napoleon Bonaparte’s wife, Josephine, was one of the many women of her time to wear this style, which favoured her figure. It was also used by pregnant brides who wanted to hide their changing shape.

All that flowing fabric, billowing down to the ground clearly remind us of Greek goddesses, who themselves had extremely feminine shapes, which makes the Empire-line dress a clear favourite among curvy brides.

The empire-line dress is characterised by its high waist, just under the bust, which brings your bust together and supports it at the same time. It leaves your real waist hidden and loose, thus creating a very feminine and ever so delicate look.

Shorter brides should consider this style, as it “stretches” your look, while any extra weight is cleverly hidden and women with smaller busts can actually look a little bigger, if that’s what they want.

La Sposa 2009 - Frontera off the shoulder empire-line

La Sposa 2009 - Felicidad - V-neck empire-line dress

Pronovias 2009 - Heraldo sweetheart neckline empire-line

J Crew - beige lace empire-line

Spanish designer Rosa Clará has used the empire-line style in the Rosa Clará 2010 collection. Click on the link for a peek!

Source: Brides.com